1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to alarm devices. More particullarly, it pertains to an alarm and outlet assembly useful in displaying small appliances and the like in stores, showrooms and similar locations.
2. Review of the Prior Art
Small electrical appliances, such as radios, clocks, lamps and the like, are often displayed for purposes of sales promotion and other commercial objectives in an operative state. Display of such small appliances in an operative state is desirable so that a prospective purchaser may observe or test the appliance in an actual operating condition. This is particularly the case with lamps, radio alarm clocks, radios, small televisions, and the like, and to a lesser extent with other small appliances such as toasters, mixers, blenders, etc.
It is well known that an increasing portion of small appliances sold in the United States are sold through large retail establishments, including so-called "discount houses", which are of an essentially self-service nature, or in which paid employees are at a minimum, so that goods may be sold at the lowest possible price. In such retail establishments, theft is an unfortunate, but practical reality. Small applicances cannot practically be chained or otherwise fastened into place to discourage theft without sacrificing the article as a salable product; such expedients usually impair the structural integrity or aesthetic characteristics of the product. Similarly, it is not desirable to display small appliances in locked display cabinets or cases; such an approach makes it impossible for the prospective customer to test the product.
A need exists for theft-inhibiting arrangement which enables small appliances to be displayed in an operative state accessible to prospective purchasers, and yet which, upon removal of the small appliance from its display position, activates an alarm to notify authorized personnel that a potential theft of a small appliance has occurred or is occurring. The present invention is addressed to this need.